Festival Lights
by Cosmic Moon Baby
Summary: A fluff-fest oneshot about a dress, a festival, a blushing girl and a obstinate boy. Zeki, of course.


**Guess what? *whispers* I don't own the characters of Vampire Knight. Matsuri Hino DOES. **

**Ok, I'm trying for some humor here, and a total fluff fest. Not going into all the vampire-ness this time. Let's give this lovely pair some respite, yeah? ;p The manga has become painful for me to even read anymore. It literally pains my heart and makes me wonder just HOW tragic this tragedy will end up. Then I start thinking too much, almost cry and have to back slowly away from said manga before I go totally insane. **

**The festival I mention is a real festival that's held. I chose a Chinese festival just for something different. From what I've read, it mirrors a Japanese festival called Tanabata, but I needed a festival where people are wearing the cheongsam (those tight brocade Chinese sheath dresses). Critical! **

**And Kaname can bite it (haha! No pun intended…) I don't really include him in my fics most of the time. I'm really sorry, Kaname fans. I'm just a meanie head and hardcore Zeki shipper. Forgive me! **

**Rated 'T' for some (perhaps?) questionable humor in the beginning and some slight teenage shenanigans. I love that word. Shenanigans. Pfffft… Maybe slightly OOC. *shrugs* **

**SO, here ya' go!**

"Zero, it hurts," Yuuki groaned, her body aching as he continued his torture.

"It's really tight," he noted, her voice echoing throughout the room.

"It's supposed to be. Keep…ah!" she cried, her back pinned against the wall.

After a bit, the two stood breathless, attempting to recover from the experience they'd shared.

Zero stood back, admiring what had turned out to be the hardest work he'd done all week. Yuuki stood there, the red and black Chinese cheongsam clinging to her small frame. As small as she was, the damned dress had still been a major chore to fasten, as they ran quite small.

She'd called him into her room as he'd walked past her door, and she'd proceeded to wrangle him into helping her into the tight fitting dress, which had turned out to be quite the chore. She'd started out lying on the bed while he tugged on the dress to button it closed and after much groaning and effort, she'd ended up against the wall as he finally conquered the last button.

Breathing hard, Yuuki collapsed onto her bed, Zero taking a seat next to her, his own breath labored.

"So," she said, "how does it look?"

He wanted to tell her _**exactly**_ how she looked in it…how the body hugging dress made him want to do the exact opposite of what he'd just done. He imagined that peeling it off of her would be much more enjoyable than buttoning it up had been, though he quickly chased his deviant thoughts from his mind as he turned towards her. No way could he allow his true colors to show, so he responded how he usually did: with apathy.

"It's a dress," he said flatly, causing her to punch him in the arm.

"Hey, stop abusing me," he griped, rubbing the tender spot on his arm as she glared up at him.

"Well, if you'd stop being such a jerk, I wouldn't have to," she shot back, sitting up and giving him an additional push.

"We're going to miss the festival if you keep this up," he noted, getting to his feet.

"You're going like that?" she asked, causing him to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Yes, Yuuki. I am," he informed her, her eyes taking him in. It wasn't as if he looked bad. In fact, he was as striking as always, she thought with mortification, wearing his black uniform pants, white button up shirt and black vest. He'd neglected to wear his red tie, the top few buttons of his shirt undone. The teasing bit of his chest displayed was enough to make her flush, but she kept herself from it, knowing he'd never let her live it down.

"You can't even dress any differently for a festival," she griped, grabbing him by the front of his vest on her way out the door, dragging him down the hall behind her.

"Hey, will you watch it?" he complained. Still, he followed her obediently, as he always did. For some reason, this girl had that effect on him, as much as he tried to resist it. The pull he felt towards her was something he simply couldn't deny. They'd been companions for the past four years and during that time, his feelings for her had grown to be almost painful at times. He cared about her. He _**knew**_ he cared about her, but he couldn't let _**her**_ know that. That simply wasn't his style. He had a reputation to uphold, after all. He was able to keep the Day Class girls at bay with a single glance. What would they say should they find out he actually had a heart? He shuddered at the thought, continuing to be pulled along by Yuuki.

She drug him down the stairs and out the door, not releasing him until they'd reached the Headmaster's quarters. When at last her fingers released him, Zero brushed himself off, straightening his vest as he followed her into the Headmaster's office. They found him sitting behind his desk, dressed in the flashiest outfit Zero had ever seen. In fact, it almost resembled Yuuki's dress, save for it was teal and gold in color. The Headmaster leapt up from his chair, immediately running to them.

"Ohhh, look at my gorgeous children!" he exclaimed, causing Zero to cover his mouth to suppress his chuckle as he took in the Headmaster's full ensemble. He was decked out in the over-the-top brocade jacket and flamboyant matching silk pants.

Ignoring his silver haired charge's amusement, Kaien Cross went straight to his adopted daughter, noting how difficult it must've been to get into the dress she wore. Oh, if only he knew…

There was quite the festive event going on in town tonight. A traditional Chinese festival was being held there, the Double Seventh Festival. This celebration was all about romance, or so Yuuki had read. She'd neglected to mention that to Zero, as she knew he'd have refused to go at all if he knew.

"Ah, my little Yuuki. How grown up you look," Cross said, tears sparkling behind his glasses. She slapped her forehead, hating when he flaked out like this.

"Dad, really…do you _**have**_ to do that?" she asked, her cheeks flushing as she noticed Zero's lavender eyes upon her. His gaze gave her cold chills and she quickly focused on the Headmaster once again before she'd turned beet red.

"Do what? Oh, well, no matter! You two had better get going. It's getting dark and the festival will be starting," he told them, ushering them out the door.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked, seeing him shake his head 'no'.

"I'm staying here to watch over things while you two are gone. Don't worry," he said with a wink.

"Then why are you dressed like that?" Zero wondered, still holding back his laughter, yet another thing he couldn't be caught dead doing.

"I'm just getting in the mood," Cross protested as Yuuki patted him on the arm.

"It's ok. We know how you like to play dress up," she said with a smile, grabbing Zero's hand as she turned to go. An invisible current shot up his arm, her touch something that always set his soul on fire. He kept his composure, however, as he was rather adept at doing.

"Have fun!" the Headmaster called, watching as the two disappeared. He sighed mightily, realizing that the children he'd taken to raise weren't children anymore. The two had always been close, but lately, he'd noticed a glint in Zero's eye. Whenever he looked at Yuuki, it was there, and whenever he looked at her, the flush that stained her cheeks was more than telling.

His thoughts on his "children", he made his way outside to patrol the academy grounds

**X-O-X-O**

"Wow, so many people," Yuuki exclaimed, taking in the sight of the many people dressed in Chinese garb. Zero noticed that many girls also wore a cheongsam, though, he thought, none of them looked nearly so delectable as Yuuki. Mentally cursing himself for his straying thoughts, Zero continued walking along beside her, his eyes scanning the crowd for anything or anyone suspicious.

"So, what's the point of all this again?" he asked, his gaze immediately being met by her cinnamon colored eyes. God, she was so beautiful tonight, something he wished he had the nerve to tell her.

Yuuki swallowed hard, having hoped that he wouldn't ask. Predicting his departure after she'd explained the festival's intent, Yuuki slipped her arm through his, causing his heart to flutter within his chest.

"Well, long story short, it's all about the Cowhand and the Weaver Maid. They fell in love, had two children and were living happily together until the Queen Mother of the Western Heavens brought the Weaver Maid back to heaven. Her husband went after her and the Queen Mother caused a river to form between the Weaver Maid and her family. They were separated by the river, but their love inspired the magpies to form a bridge between them so they could see one another. The Queen Mother was so moved that she agreed to allow them to meet on the seventh day of the seventh month each year," she concluded, still clinging to his arm.

"So this is a festival of romance," he said, rolling his eyes and sighing mightily. Noticing his actions, Yuuki pulled away, hurt appearing in her eyes.

"You tricked me," he accused, seeing her emotions playing across her face as she stared him down.

"Can't you for once not act like this? Or do you just hate being around me that much?" she demanded, her hands on her hips as she stared him down. Now he'd done it.

Before he could speak, she was stalking away from him, leaving him feeling like a total heel for being so temperamental. She disappeared into the crowd before he could catch up with her, leaving him a bit unnerved. He didn't exactly want her to be alone in a crowd so large, after all. He took off after her, muttering apologies to people as he squeezed by them.

Yuuki had allowed her emotions to get the best of her, her heart aching as she fled his side, tearing off through the crowd to get as far away from him as possible. No matter what she did, he would never smile for her. He always seemed miserable, no matter where they went or what they did. She was beginning to think she was right, that he really _**did**_ hate her. The thought of her long time partner in crime hating her caused tears to pool in her eyes, a few streaming down her cheeks. She angrily scrubbed at them with the back of her hand, her small form maneuvering through the crowd with relative ease.

She took in all the lights, the delicious smell of different foods surrounding her. Everyone seemed so happy, smiles on their faces, laughter floating through the air. Yuuki wondered why Zero could never be the least bit happy. She realized he'd gone through a lot in his life, but it seemed like the more she tried to make him smile, the less interested he became. All she really wanted was to see him smile, to genuinely smile.

Making her way to an empty bench, Yuuki plopped down, looking down at herself. She'd even hoped somewhere deep down that he would've noticed how she went out of her way to look nice tonight. But he's still acted as if he couldn't care less, like he usually did.

She sighed, resting her face in her hands. This night was turning out to be useless. She found herself to be in a foul mood and simply wanting to return to her room and go to bed. As she sat there, staring at the ground, a booted foot came into view. Her eyes traveled up two long legs, over a vest and up until she was caught by the same lavender gaze that always managed to make her breath catch in her throat.

He stood there, an odd look upon his face. She watched as he sat beside her before turning to stare off into the crowd.

Zero looked her over, certain parts of his anatomy threatening to give him hell as his eyes ran over her body, held tightly by her dress, much in the same way his arms longed to hold her. Knowing he had to do some damage control, the silver haired youth spoke.

"Yuuki, I'm…sorry," he said, her eyes catching his as she turned towards him. His heart nearly burst as he noticed the trails of tears running down her cheeks, knowing he'd caused them. She sat for a moment, gasping as his thumb brushed her tears from her cheek with care.

"Don't worry about it," she said, her voice a bit shaky despite her efforts to control it. He sat there, struggling for the words he wished to say, knowing it would expose his true nature should he utter them.

"You look really nice tonight," he said, her eyes seeming to look past his meticulously erected walls into his very soul.

His words shocked her a bit. Had he actually just complimented her? Not teased or chided her, but had actually said something pleasant?

"Oh. Th…thank you," she managed, feeling the usual blush creeping across her cheeks. Curses! Every time she let her guard down, this would happen. To her dismay, this time he noticed, which only caused her to blush to deepen.

"Are you blushing?" he asked suddenly, causing her to turn away in embarrassment. She felt so incredibly awkward, her eyes growing wide as his fingers turned her chin back towards him.

"I…um, well…" she stammered, cursing herself for breaking down so easily. It was those eyes that held her, made her feel as though they were looking deeply into her being.

"You are," he noted, smug due to the fact that he had such an effect on her.

"What if I am?" she demanded, trying to keep up a tough exterior. He would have none of it, however, as he moved closer to her until their legs touched.

Yuuki's face felt as though it were on fire, and she was sure she'd turned six or seven shades of red as she sat there, feeling torn apart by his gaze.

"Never mind. I got you something," he said, proffering a red flower from behind his back. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the sight of it, and wider still as he placed it behind her ear. She sat there in shock for a moment before finding her words.

"Th…thank you," she stammered, feeling the heat in her cheeks.

And then, it happened. As she sat there, feeling like a fish out of water, he smiled. She nearly died as the smile was followed by a laugh, something she'd only been privy to once or twice since she'd known him. She looked up at him, wishing that the moment would last forever.

Yuuki heard herself gasp as he leaned forward until their foreheads touched, a smirk still gracing his lips. She felt her heart thumping erratically within her chest, her breath catching as he spoke.

"It's my pleasure. Now…while we're here, you should at least try to enjoy yourself," he told her, getting to his feet and extending his hand. She took it gratefully before lacing her arm with his, allowing him to lead her off through the crowd.

Somehow, his mood seemed to lighten considerably, Zero actually seeming to pay attention to her as she ogled this and that, the pair continuing through the crowd, still arm in arm. Though she was unaware of the fact, each laugh she emitted set his heart aflame, the silver haired youth finding himself to be contented by the mere sound of them.

The crowd around them was much easier to maneuver through with him by her side, people smiling at the pair as they made their way around the festival. Yuuki nearly blushed again as she wondered if they looked like a couple, her cheeks warming as she tried to quell her own thoughts.

As the night drew to a close, the crowd began to thin, a small yawn escaping the russet haired girl as her cohort looked down at her.

"We should get back before it gets too late," he told her, his hand holding hers as he led her through the throngs of people around them.

"But we haven't seen the fireworks yet," she protested, Zero still pulling her along behind him.

**X-O-X-O**

"Wow," she managed, before becoming speechless as she took in the unobstructed view of the large fireworks display lighting up the sky, her silver haired companion standing silently behind her. He'd led her away from town and the crowd gathered there to higher, more tactical ground. Here, there was nothing to block the view, the girl appreciative of the fact he'd been so thoughtful as to bring her to this spot.

"It's so beautiful," she breathed, a shiver coursing through her as she at last noticed the chill of the night air around them. Soon, she turned to him, feeling the warmth of his uniform coat as he slipped it onto her shoulders. It carried the warm scent of him, one she'd grown to adore over the four years they'd spent together.

She froze as he leaned down his chin resting on her shoulder as his arms went around her. His breath was hot against her cheek, her heart racing despite her efforts to keep calm.

"It's not the only thing," he said, the girl turning to face him, still caged in his arms.

The fireworks behind them shown in his eyes as he gazed down upon her, her hand reaching up to touch his cheek. He was so warm, his hand moving to cover hers as he leaned into it. This touch had always soothed him like nothing else…like no one else had ever been able. He longed for it so, despite knowing that his longing was a forbidden one. Even so, he found himself leaning down, unable to rein himself in any longer as his lips touched hers, Yuuki's eyes going wide before slitting shut, the girl surrendering to his touch.

The fireworks continued behind them, though neither paid them any mind as they stood lost in one another, Zero at last pulling back to find her a bit breathless before him. He wondered if her cheeks were flushed once again, though he knew the answer already.

"So…are you glad you came with me tonight?" she wondered, Zero kissing her forehead softly.

"Yeah, you could say that. Come on. Let's go home."

He took her hand, the last of the fireworks lighting their path as they made their way back to the academy. He swore to himself then that he would never let go of that small, tender hand…the one that'd chased away the demons that plagued him and that kept his heart alive.

**X-O-X-O**

**Ok, then! There's that. So now, I'm gonna' go pace a path in the floor as I await the release of Chapter 62 this month. OMG, I can't STAND IT! Did you catch the last preview page that said "Meanwhile, on the hunter side, Zero is…?"? Freakin' JEEZ! He's what? WHAT? *turns red and falls over***

**Seriously. I don't know if I'm gonna' make it through the ending of this manga. I fear it. I really, ****really**** do. But since holding my breath until it ends would be more than slightly detrimental to my health, I suppose I'll just be a good girl and carry on until that fateful day comes and try not to have an all out spaz attack when it does. And here's hoping for more Zeki action ****very**** freakin' soon! Chapter 61 has me all kinds of Yume'd out. Bah. **

**But I'll shut up now. Thanks for reading!**

***Cosmic***


End file.
